Gauchos Kick it Into Gear at Santa Clara Invitational

Photo by Francis Lipinski

Oct 18, 2013

The UC Santa Barbara cross-country teams return to action this Saturday, participating in the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale, California. The race comes two weeks after the Gaucho men and women finished 3rd and 7th respectively in the NCAA West Regional Preview in Sacramento.

Dani Moreno and Christine Cooperstein have led the women's side this season, with Maxine Goyette providing quality performances as well. Saturday will be the 2nd time this season that the women have run a 6K race, taking part in their only other at the Riverside Invitational.

The men's team has provided great team efforts from top to bottom regularly, with the trio ofAnthony Ortolan, Bryce Rausa, and Andrew Farkas pacing the crew. In all three races, Ortolan has finished in the top five, something he hopes to do again Saturday.

Teams participating include schools from all across California, including UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Pepperdine. Runners from the University of Hawaii and Richmond highlight the out of state competition.

The Gaucho runners will get started at 9:00 AM with the men's 8K, and at 9:45 AM the women will compete in a 6K race.